Fact File – BH0-007 Certification Exam

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The BH0-007 Certification Exam is also known as “ISEB Intermediate Certificate in Software Testing”. The examination number for this certification is 000-074 and is only available in the English language.

Pre-requisites:

This certification is intended for any IT professional having a role and/or interest in Software Testing and holds the ISEB Foundation Certificate in Software Testing. A pass in the Foundation Certificate will showcase that the candidate has the desired analytical and logical ability to master the advance level.

Understanding this Certification:

This qualification examines up to level K4 of the given learning objectives/level of knowledge. Thus, The BH0-007 Certification Exam bridges the gap between foundation level and practitioner level. There has been various definition and levels created to access one’s knowledge. There are a total of six levels, and the Level K4 tests the complex procedure of Analysis.

Importance of this Certification:

The ISEB Intermediate Certificate in offers an international benchmark of skills and experience for Software Testers. It is internationally recognized as an essential measurement for those wishing to advance their career within the software testing industry.

Where can you take this Certification?

A) The ISEB Intermediate exam is available via quarterly public exam sittings arranged by ISEB which are normally held in the BCS London Offices near Covent Garden, London.

B) The exam is also available on request to ISEB accredited Training Providers who are able to request the exams to follow their courses.

C) You can also take the ISEB Intermediate exam via Prometric (a global online testing company).

After this Certification?

The BH0-007 Certification Exam is the pre-requisite for The ISEB Practitioner Certificate in Testing. The testing skills and knowledge acquired by clearing this certification is applicable to the wide range of testing challenges that test analysts and test managers face on complex modern testing projects.

Writing is Enjoying the Process

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When you bite into a piece of chocolate (dark chocolate, in my case), you should immediately experience that sense of pleasure, assuming you love chocolate. If not, substitute your favorite food to get the image and feeling of that pleasure.

Or imagine being immersed in your favorite hobby or activity. Feel that wonderful pleasure of being in the moment, loving every second of the experience. You can be filled with excitement, anticipation of upcoming events, success at every turn.

Now think about being totally involved in a writing project that you have looked forward to working on. You should be completely entranced by the experience so much so that time slips away and only actual, physical hunger or other bodily concerns, will drive you away from your writing.

The feelings of these three experiences should be similar. With your writing, you should enjoy nearly every task, nearly every moment of the writing process.

Of course, every writer has tasks that are less than agreeable or enjoyable, often downright frustrating. And every writer has experienced the moment of complete and total frustration when it is a wonder that the thought of being a writer ever sounded wonderful or promising.

But those moments should be only occasional. And you should be able to work through them so that you can move on to those tasks and moments that you really enjoy. Once you have completed a few projects, you will know when these occasionally frustrating times occur and know that you can get through them if you just knuckle down and do the work, and move on.

I attended a workshop once. One of the attendees said that writing was the most painful, awful experience he had ever tackled, but he did it anyway. My question to him was, “Why do you write?” He gave all sorts of superficial reasons, such as fame and fortune associated with his writing. He really wanted to “have been written,” but he was not a writer, at least in my definition. I felt really sorry for him as I compared his horrible experience to my wonderful ones.

I love writing. I love to create nonfiction books and workbooks, and I am even gaining momentum with these blog posts and articles though I prefer the longer length of publications. And I get giggly when I am writing fiction, my true passion, which I have only just recently allowed myself to return to after many years away (for some lame excuses like, “I cannot afford the time,” or “I have to write serious stuff,” and other ridiculous excuses.).

I believe life should be fun. Your passion for an activity indicates the closeness of that activity to your life purpose. If you would do something all the time without ever receiving any money for it (assuming you had other financial support), that is your true passion.

I have two passions: writing and helping people to become better writers so they can achieve their goals. I do this through my writing, coaching, and occasional teaching face-to-face.

But others write because they want that carrot at the end of the stick that keeps hitting them, causing them pain and anguish. That is just silly. This world offers a multitude of professions and ways of earning money. Being a writer offers a more difficult path to wealth and freedom than other professions. You should be a writer because you cannot NOT be a writer. If you stop writing, you feel like you are going to go nuts. If that is your case, you are a writer. Accept it, find those genres you are good at writing, and write them.

My father always said, “Make your hobby into your profession.” When I was teaching business students (usually juniors and seniors) about business communications at the university, I usually managed to give his advice, but with a twist. I would say that every company has accounting, IT, personnel, and other common functions for which they were studying. Why not work for a company that involved their hobby? That way, they would be working at their chosen career while being surrounded by their hobby. How cool would that be? I do not know how many heeded my advice, but it only sounds logical, rather than accepting the first job they get an offer for.

This applies to writers as well. First, choose writing as a career (or at least a hobby until you can afford to quit your day job) because you love writing that moment-by-moment experience. Second, find the kind of writing you really enjoy.

In my early career, I tried all sorts of different genres, including short stories (too short), mainstream novels (way too long), nonfiction books (had a blast with those), plays (never took off), and so on. Eventually, I found that I truly enjoyed writing projects that took between 120 to 200 manuscript pages, which, as it turned out, include nonfiction books, workbooks, adolescent novels, and screenplays, all of which fall within this page range. But it took a lot of trial and error before I stumbled on these various ways of sharing my expertise and storytelling talents.

I also had to experiment with topics. I started as a travel writer and had some success, but then I found that I really enjoyed writing about writing and writers. I have been writing and publishing work ever since.

Find your writing passion — the genres and the topics — and enjoy the moment-by-moment activities of that passion. And have fun, for goodness sake.

What Do Executive Coaching Services Include?

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Executive coaching is ranked among the most dynamic and latest influence in the business world. By using coaching owners, executives and their staff are placed at an advantage on many fronts. Improved communication, more effective leadership, increased confidence, higher productivity, staff retention and authentic camaraderie among the staff. One of the best arsenals known to propel any business to great heights is clear communication. To get this type of training, it is important to hire executive coaching services. This is attributed to the fact that they offer an integrated service that ensures all the necessary components are taught.

It is important to note that the service comes with several services and this is what goes a long way to make it appealing. A good example is the variety of training options at your disposal. These might include the following.

  • Developmental coaching: This takes approximately 3-6 months. The coach is responsible for jump starting the training with supervisory and HR support training.
  • Individual Executive coaching: This takes approximately 6-12 months, and may continue longer if desired. In this case, HR will identify and prioritize developmental issues. The coach also receives feedback from the participants on how the coaching is proceeding.
  • Expanded coaching: This is usually brought in after the initial 6-12 months are complete. There are several aspects covered in this form of expanded coaching. It too is co-designed by coach and the HR team.

There are several factors that make it necessary for employees to work with a coach and these include.

  • The need to improve performance as well as develop new skills as well as fresh knowledge.
  • When the need to take part in a rigorous self-appraisal that is honest arises.
  • When they are in need of talking to another individually about the challenges been faced as well as the strengths.
  • To improve communication skills.
  • Increase leadership behavior.

Other important services that are incorporated in executive coaching services include provision of assessment. It is important to note that this is done in stages and as such, it becomes easier to note if employees are making any progress. Step one is always about self-assessment. The individual is taught how to evaluate themselves. This is in terms of professional goals, the reasons for coaching and the type of coaching chosen. It is always advisable to carry this out in writing as it gives a clear picture of the analysis.

It is important to note that these tools are used to gather information about an individuals goals, competencies, interests and talent potential among other factors. Other types of assessment offered in executive coaching services include mid-point assessment and final assessment. It is important to note that during this last stage, the individual is in a position to determine if they would love the coaching relationship to continue of whether they would prefer terminating it.

Writing is Enjoying the Process

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When you bite into a piece of chocolate (dark chocolate, in my case), you should immediately experience that sense of pleasure, assuming you love chocolate. If not, substitute your favorite food to get the image and feeling of that pleasure.

Or imagine being immersed in your favorite hobby or activity. Feel that wonderful pleasure of being in the moment, loving every second of the experience. You can be filled with excitement, anticipation of upcoming events, success at every turn.

Now think about being totally involved in a writing project that you have looked forward to working on. You should be completely entranced by the experience so much so that time slips away and only actual, physical hunger or other bodily concerns, will drive you away from your writing.

The feelings of these three experiences should be similar. With your writing, you should enjoy nearly every task, nearly every moment of the writing process.

Of course, every writer has tasks that are less than agreeable or enjoyable, often downright frustrating. And every writer has experienced the moment of complete and total frustration when it is a wonder that the thought of being a writer ever sounded wonderful or promising.

But those moments should be only occasional. And you should be able to work through them so that you can move on to those tasks and moments that you really enjoy. Once you have completed a few projects, you will know when these occasionally frustrating times occur and know that you can get through them if you just knuckle down and do the work, and move on.

I attended a workshop once. One of the attendees said that writing was the most painful, awful experience he had ever tackled, but he did it anyway. My question to him was, “Why do you write?” He gave all sorts of superficial reasons, such as fame and fortune associated with his writing. He really wanted to “have been written,” but he was not a writer, at least in my definition. I felt really sorry for him as I compared his horrible experience to my wonderful ones.

I love writing. I love to create nonfiction books and workbooks, and I am even gaining momentum with these blog posts and articles though I prefer the longer length of publications. And I get giggly when I am writing fiction, my true passion, which I have only just recently allowed myself to return to after many years away (for some lame excuses like, “I cannot afford the time,” or “I have to write serious stuff,” and other ridiculous excuses.).

I believe life should be fun. Your passion for an activity indicates the closeness of that activity to your life purpose. If you would do something all the time without ever receiving any money for it (assuming you had other financial support), that is your true passion.

I have two passions: writing and helping people to become better writers so they can achieve their goals. I do this through my writing, coaching, and occasional teaching face-to-face.

But others write because they want that carrot at the end of the stick that keeps hitting them, causing them pain and anguish. That is just silly. This world offers a multitude of professions and ways of earning money. Being a writer offers a more difficult path to wealth and freedom than other professions. You should be a writer because you cannot NOT be a writer. If you stop writing, you feel like you are going to go nuts. If that is your case, you are a writer. Accept it, find those genres you are good at writing, and write them.

My father always said, “Make your hobby into your profession.” When I was teaching business students (usually juniors and seniors) about business communications at the university, I usually managed to give his advice, but with a twist. I would say that every company has accounting, IT, personnel, and other common functions for which they were studying. Why not work for a company that involved their hobby? That way, they would be working at their chosen career while being surrounded by their hobby. How cool would that be? I do not know how many heeded my advice, but it only sounds logical, rather than accepting the first job they get an offer for.

This applies to writers as well. First, choose writing as a career (or at least a hobby until you can afford to quit your day job) because you love writing that moment-by-moment experience. Second, find the kind of writing you really enjoy.

In my early career, I tried all sorts of different genres, including short stories (too short), mainstream novels (way too long), nonfiction books (had a blast with those), plays (never took off), and so on. Eventually, I found that I truly enjoyed writing projects that took between 120 to 200 manuscript pages, which, as it turned out, include nonfiction books, workbooks, adolescent novels, and screenplays, all of which fall within this page range. But it took a lot of trial and error before I stumbled on these various ways of sharing my expertise and storytelling talents.

I also had to experiment with topics. I started as a travel writer and had some success, but then I found that I really enjoyed writing about writing and writers. I have been writing and publishing work ever since.

Find your writing passion — the genres and the topics — and enjoy the moment-by-moment activities of that passion. And have fun, for goodness sake.

3 Basic Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before Introducing E-Learning

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These days we see a rapid rush amongst various small and large-scale educational institutions to introduce e-learning as a part of their extensive course modules. Many of them are running parallel online part time classes besides conducting regular full-time courses. E-learning is becoming a potential business proposition, promising high attendance rates in classes compared to traditional ‘brick and mortar’ classrooms. However, academic institutions should not forget the genuine reason behind the rising demand for e-learning courses- 24/7 learning opportunity and flexibility to utilize learning content and resources at learner’s convenience.

Every online class organizer should try to answer these 3 essential questions before thinking of introducing e-learning as part of their curriculum.

Is the course creating awareness for insightful learning?

You have created a course keeping in mind the demand of the students to learn more about specific topics. However, many a times, it has been seen that post the completing of a specific course; the students do not achieve the desired grades as expected in the examinations. A deeper analysis revealed that the course failed to provide the required content and resources to students and did not clarify how their knowledge will fit in the grand scheme of things. Hence, there is a need to add modules that will give students an overall idea of how things run and how they can apply their knowledge in the real world. Once they have been made aware of this, the individuals are bound to perform better.

Is the course causing the learners to think?

Create course content that will enable students to challenge the age-old way of looking at things. For example, the learners should be allowed to smoothly process learning materials and come out with various suggestions to improve the education imparting procedures. Develop a mock situation that is totally different from the way we normally view the content. Ask students to come out with probable advices on different ways to view the content. Social media has opened up new avenues to transit a specific learning document into wiki or a podcast.

Is the course giving chance to practice whatever you learned?

It is always important to practice while you learn otherwise chances are that we usually tend to forget concepts when it starts coming to us in large chunks. It is through learning that we develop our deeper understanding of real-life scenarios and practice makes us perfect. Besides, we gain knowledge to review a particular real-life situation as and when we confront them and accordingly develop appropriate decisions.

Veterans and Education: Are Our Veterans Getting the Education Benefits They Deserve?

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In honor of Veterans Day and those who have served our country, we’d like to take some time to look at the educational benefits available to veterans and the men and women who currently serve. Veterans returning from military service are enrolling in college programs in record numbers, but many of our veterans are finding the college experience far less than favorable. They’ve fought for our country honorably – they shouldn’t have to fight for their education benefits too.

Let’s take a look at the education benefits available and how colleges across the nation are working to improve the services they extend to our veterans all the way from World War II to Iraq and Afghanistan.

The implementation of the new GI Bill, renamed the Post-9/11 GI Bill, helps to connect American’s veterans to higher education by significantly expanding the education benefits available to veterans. The new GI Bill helps veterans to earn their degree by paying the full tuition and fees at over 4,000 colleges and providing a monthly living and book and supply stipend.

But many still find that the government’s education programs for service members are inadequate. A loophole in the Bill can often make student loans non-deferrable. Loans can be deferred during times of military service, but when student loans are held by multiple banks, the deferment process can often be undermined. Roy Brown and Eli Williamson, two Army vets, decided to help. Brown and Williamson created Leave No Veteran Behind, a non-profit organization that helps struggling veterans manage their debt and pay off their loans. Loans that veterans take out before entering the service and classes that are interrupted by deployment, for example, are not covered under the GI Bill. The pair recently helped 26-year Air Force veteran Doris Barren, now 51, pay off her entire $5,000 student loan. As they see it, it’s one down, one million to go.

The “culture shock” of reclamation to the civilian world of college campuses is also difficult for veterans, a recent study from the National Survey of Student Engagement found. The transition from military to civilian life is unquestionably hard and the reported lack of support on college campuses can only make the transition more difficult. Of 11,000 veterans surveyed, many reported feeling “disconnected” from the school they attend. The report suggests that college campuses and administration seek out ways of more effectively engaging veterans and providing them with “supportive environments that promote success.” Brian Hawthorne, a student veteran who served twice in Iraq with the Army and is now a graduate student at George Washington University urges educators to understand the differences between veterans and traditional college students, and to provide student veterans with the network of support systems they need.

Many colleges are trying to combat these issues and make the higher education process and experience easier for veterans in hopes that, one day, organizations like Leave No Veteran Behind will be out of work. Colleges have traditionally given honor students and athletes first dibs on classes or “priority registration.” Now, across the nation, student veterans are being given the same opportunity. Prominent ground colleges, like the University of Arizona, are giving veterans the opportunity to register for classes early, ensuring that the classes they want and need to take are available. In 2009, the state of California mandated that all state schools give veterans and current service members priority registration. Additionally, online schools offer veterans a multitude of education opportunities with flexible class scheduling and extensive student services.

A number of corporations are also trying to increase the availability of education benefits for veterans by donating millions of dollars to veteran education programs. Microsoft has given $2 million in cash and $6 million in cutting-edge software to organizations that provide veteran education, skill training and job placement. The money will also be used for services such as career counseling and childcare. An officer in the Navy for nine years, Ross Janson is one veteran who has taken advantage of the Microsoft funding. Janson is taking computer and technology courses at Veterans Inc., one veteran’s organization that received Microsoft funding, to prepare himself for a civilian job in an increasingly tech-driven economy.

Department store super-power Wal-Mart has also contributed, giving $10 million over a five-year period to non-profit organizations that offer veterans job training and higher education or continuing education opportunities. J.C. Penny recently gave $1 million for 5,000 veterans to purchase business clothes for their new civilian workplace. Robert Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, the gaming company which produces popular video games like Call of Duty, was persuaded by the sheer number of unemployed veterans to establish a $1 million foundation to support them. The company recently announced an additional $1 million gift.

Student Veterans of America, a student run organization which helps student veterans transition into college and earn their degree, is one of the countless student-run organizations that many colleges offer to their veterans. There are currently 300 college chapters and Michael Dakduk, the deputy executive director of the organization, hopes that the number of chapters nationwide continues to expand. Through his work, Dudak says what amazes him the most is the number of veterans “succeeding, despite the obstacles.”

Five Words That Scare College Students

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When students graduate from college, they expect to begin a new job, one that will launch their careers and get them started in life. They will have worked their way through college and reached the senior year with the expectation that they are prepared to conduct their senior year job search, will take a few interviews and will receive one or more job offers. Unfortunately, things don’t always go the way we all would like them to work out. In fact, after a long, frustrating and disappointing job search effort, unprepared students and recent graduates will start the negative self-talk and think to themselves, “I can’t find a job.”

Those five words should scare every college student. That’s why it’s important for students to understand that the battle for a good job starts long before the senior year of college. Nobody can conduct an effective senior year job search, having done little or nothing to get prepared for that job search. “Getting Ready” is what students should be doing during each and every semester of college.

Since most students just don’t know what they should be doing to get ready, let’s deal with that issue here and now. There are things that students can be working on from the first day they enter college. Therefore, students who are serious about landing a good job should concentrate on things that will help them do just that. They include the following:

1. Enthusiastically pursue beneficial knowledge, activities, experiences and friendships

2. Discover and explore personal interests, directions, capabilities and limits

3. Become known for something associated with their interests and direction

4. Impress at least one influential Professor

5. Involve themselves with two or more doers and thinkers in their field

6. Get some solid work experience in their area of interest

7. Develop relationships with three or more impressive references

8. Lead a group that achieves something positive and significant

9. Develop, then demonstrate exceptional communication skills

10. Research 200+ employers that hire college grads with their capabilities

11. Create and utilize their personal Alumni network

12. Develop a comprehensive job search strategy

Each of these assignments must be started early in the college experience and should be completed before the beginning of the senior year. Because these difficult and challenging tasks will take a long time to complete, any student who waits until their senior year to get started will almost certainly have killed their chances for landing the job they have dreamed about. They won’t be prepared for the five word question that the best employers want answered, “Why should we hire you?”

When students approach their college and job search responsibilities in a systematic and businesslike manner, they will help to ensure that their search for employment ends in success. A semester-by-semester plan should be developed, written out and followed. That plan will bring clarity and a timetable to the steps required in the critical process that is overlooked by too many capable students.

We all know that not everything will go smoothly along to way. When problems and obstacles occur, students must call upon their pride, determination and creativity to push through or go around the challenges that present themselves. Employers look for those qualities that enable students to keep going, when things get rough. During interviews, students should be prepared to present and discuss their accomplishments, including a few stories about the obstacles that were overcome. Employers love students who have had to fight for success, can stand up to difficulties and still function well.

Because the best candidates are already fully prepared for their job search, they can devote their entire senior year to that effort. All of the preliminary work was completed earlier. Now it’s just a matter of executing their strategy in an exceptional manner, one that will result in them uttering five more words, “I have a great job.”

You Have Nothing to Fear With Online LSAT Prep Courses

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As students search for the best LSAT prep courses, they have reservations about online LSAT prep courses. They experience all sorts of worries with the online format and potential risks they think are involved. Yet, in reality, many of these worries are overstated, and students should, instead, embrace the online medium.

Students highlight several issues with online LSAT prep courses. First, they claim they do not have sufficient contact information for these courses, such as a phone number, or a street address. Thus, they claim, if they purchased the course, and a problem arises, how do they get a hold of someone? This perceived dilemma is overstated because many online courses do, indeed, offer telephone numbers and addresses. (You simply have to look for them on the website.) They also offer valid e-mail addresses, which, in many cases, can be an even better form of communication. In sum, there are a variety of ways you can contact the people behind an online LSAT prep course.

Second, students claim they do not know what they are purchasing. This worry, again, is more myth than reality. When you purchase a traditional course, you also have no clue what you purchased until you receive the books and attend a class. In addition, some online LSAT prep courses offer money-back guarantees that should alleviate any apprehension you might have about purchasing an unknown product. Finally, online courses display a lot of information on their websites about what their courses contain and what you should expect. Often, they offer much more information than a traditional course displays in its own literature. So, read through this material as much as you can, and you should be well-informed.

Third, students claim there are a lot of people online who want to scam you and take your money. Again, this is an overstatement. Sure, these people exist, but they also exist in the real world and nowhere near the Internet. The online medium is not much more dangerous. Moreover, you will always have the same rights and legal protections when you make an online purchase. You should obviously stay away from websites that request money orders or similar unsecured transfers, but most websites present legitimate methods of payment. Some things you can look for to protect yourself are whether you can use a credit card (err on the side of caution and use a credit card because you can always dispute it later); whether there are certain security assurances (such as whether the page on which you are required to enter your credit card information is a secure page); whether the website contains a privacy policy; and whether the website contains terms and conditions you can read and accept.

The dangers that exist in the online medium are really the same dangers people have been dealing with in the physical marketplace for years. The fears about online LSAT prep courses are truly overstated and should not deter you from purchasing a quality course online.

Seven Truths of Career Success

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1. The most qualified candidate does not necessarily get the job offer

Many times, candidates with lesser qualifications get job offers simply because they’ve prepared and presented themselves in a more compelling way. They “package” themselves better, with an outstanding portfolio of career documents and oral presentation skills. The winning candidate is the one who knows how to tie his or her achievements, strengths and assets directly to the employer’s needs, problems and challenges.

In a difficult employment landscape, strong qualifications and accomplishments are necessary, but not sufficient, to find a job you love and earn what you deserve. Don’t be fooled into believing that the work world is a meritocracy – it’s not. In the end, it’s the best self-marketer who gets the job.

2. The best time to work on your career is when your job is secure

Even if you’re very happily employed today, you never know what may happen tomorrow! To avoid a career crisis, you should incorporate the concept of “Perpetual Career Management” into your professional life. This means consistently pursuing activities that you THOUGHT were only for job seekers.

Vital tasks like keeping your success stories up to date, practicing interviewing and negotiation skills, or networking regularly with professionals in your industry, should be incorporated into your routine whether the economy is good or bad – and whether you feel you need to or not.

Instead of focusing only on doing your job, you should focus on managing your career – at all times, regardless of how the economy or job market is doing!

3. Graduating from school is the beginning of your education, not the end

In good economic times or bad, you should always look for ways to advance your industry knowledge and professional qualifications. Attending seminars, reading trade journals, pursuing certifications, etc. – these activities must be a part of your ongoing professional development process. It’s imperative that every professional remain current in his or her field. No company wants to hire a candidate whose intellectual capital is stale. NOT upgrading your knowledge and skills on a continual basis is a risk you can’t afford to take.

You should continually build your credentials, which will make you more attractive and marketable as a candidate – both inside your company and in “the outside world.”

Plus, in a down economy, the greatest assets you have to sell are your knowledge and intellectual resources. When business gets tough, the demand for people who can think strategically and deliver tangible results goes UP, not down!

4. An employer’s first offer is NEVER their best offer

When it comes to compensation, employers expect that you’ve done salary research, and they anticipate having dynamic negotiations with you. In fact, they’ll often be disappointed and question your candidacy if you DON’T negotiate. You might be tempted to think ANY job offer is great in a tough economy or that this is the WORST time to negotiate – but you’d be wrong.

Employers usually start with a low salary offer merely as a “trial balloon,” to see how you’ll react – and there’s almost always room to improve on the initial compensation offer, even in a tight job market. If you don’t negotiate further, I guarantee that you’ll be leaving money – and possibly a whole lot more – on the table.

5. Always research and be “plugged in” to the competition

Research and be aware of the competition – whether it be information about other companies or other professionals in your industry. Always know who they are and what they’re doing. Endeavor to “know the competition better than they know themselves.” This will greatly enhance your competitiveness when jobs are hard to come by, and it will allow you to jump on opportunities that others might not yet be aware of!

So “research your way to success.” Read industry publications, your daily newspaper’s business section, Business Week, Fortune, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and so on. Pay attention to other local, regional, and national sources of “business intelligence,” such as web sites, newsletters, blogs, and radio or TV shows.

Connect with people, companies, and groups that you read about. The more you know about the competition, the easier it will be to land the right position in a challenging job market.

6. Networking is not as important as you think it is

It’s far more important! Put time aside every week for active networking to maintain established relationships and develop new ones – both inside and outside the company where you work.

You should always be positioned to leverage your professional and personal contacts when the need arises. So, adopt the discipline of blocking-out time on your calendar specifically for networking activities – every week, every month, and every year, for the duration of your career!

It’s important to keep networking in both good economic times and bad – and to continually expand your contact database. This vital resource becomes the “backbone” of every future job search, as well as your overall career development process.

7. If YOU’RE not managing your career, nobody is!

When I speak to audiences about career management strategies, I often start by asking, “Who is responsible for managing your career?” Is it Human Resources, your manager, a recruiter, your Career Coach, or none of these?

In the past, when the job market was much healthier, perhaps any combination of these would have been the correct answer. But in today’s economy, the answer is clearly “none of these.”

It doesn’t matter what your Human Resources department says about “succession planning” or “leadership development.” It doesn’t matter that you have great relationships with recruiting firms. It doesn’t matter if you’re working with the world’s best Career Coach. It doesn’t even matter if your boss loves everything you’re doing, has big plans for you, and has nothing but praise for you at every performance review.

The bottom line is that YOU, and only you, hold the keys to your career and professional future. Although there is no longer such a thing as “job security,” if you take 100% responsibility for managing your own career, you can still develop and maintain own brand of “employment security.”

The Lionel Model Train – How Much is Your Collection Worth?

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Are Lionel trains worth a pretty penny? Well, the answer to this question depends on various factors. For instance, the value of the train will depend on which era the train was produced and also the condition that train is in. So before you sell that train on eBay or at a local garage sale, consider these factors first.

First, the value in collectible Lionel trains depends on the era in which they were produced. Lionel has been manufacturing trains since 1902 when it first introduced the Electric Express model as a retail store display. However, the models that are most prized by collectors are the “original Lionel trains” made between 1940 and 1959. The trains produced during this post-World War II era are considered to be some of Lionel’s finest products and coincide with the company’s rise as a juggernaut in the American toy industry.

The trains produced after 1969 are considered Lionel’s “modern era” trains. These trains have not retained as much collector interest or value especially the ones that are not in pristine condition and in the original packaging. In addition, some critics argue re-issues of vintage Lionel trains decrease the value of the original models.

Now that we’ve established the type of Lionel trains that are highly sought after by collector, it is important to discuss the single factor that most influences the value of a particular collectible train-the condition. Unlike hobbyists, collectors care less about how the train operates compared to how the train appears. In fact, the appearance of the train determines the value because dents, scratches, and damaged parts decrease the value to a collector. Trains that are in “mint” condition or brand new condition will command the highest price whereas those that are beat up will fetch the least amount.

So how is value actually determined? With regards to Lionel train collecting, there are two guides that are published annually-Lionel Price & Rarity Guide and Greenburg’s Pocket Price Guide to Lionel Trains. However, keep in mind these price guides only provide a guideline for pricing. The true value of a train depends on the buyer and seller. In other words, how much is the seller willing to offer in order to part with the train and how much is the buyer willing to pay to obtain the item.

There you have it. Not all Lionel trains are the same. Look carefully and you may not only find a small piece of American history, but you may also have an antique collectible sitting in your attic or someone else’s garage sale. Even if you’re not a model train enthusiast, that train will be worth a pretty penny to a Lionel train collector.